Surgical nurse demographics and statistics in the US
Surgical nurse demographics research summary. Zippia estimates surgical nurse demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our surgical nurse estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about surgical nurses after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 1,959,242 surgical nurses currently employed in the United States.
- 88.8% of all surgical nurses are women, while 11.2% are men.
- The average surgical nurse age is 43 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of surgical nurses is White (65.6%), followed by Black or African American (12.0%), Asian (8.9%) and Hispanic or Latino (8.8%).
- Surgical nurses are most in-demand in Las Vegas, NV.
- The professional industry is the highest-paying for surgical nurses.
- Thousand Oaks, CA pays an annual average wage of $104,813, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women surgical nurses earned 94% of what men earned.
- 9% of all surgical nurses are LGBT.
- Arizona is the best state for surgical nurses to live.
- Surgical nurses are 90% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Surgical nurse demographics by:
Surgical nurse gender statistics
88.8% of surgical nurses are women and 11.2% of surgical nurses are men.
- Female, 88.8%
- Male, 11.2%
Surgical nurse gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 88.8% |
| Male | 11.2% |
Surgical nurse gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$69,097
Female income
$65,047
Surgical nurse gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in surgical nurse positions over time. Currently, 88.8% of surgical nurses are female.
Surgical nurse gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 8.38% | 91.62% |
| 2011 | 8.72% | 91.28% |
| 2012 | 8.83% | 91.17% |
| 2013 | 9.21% | 90.79% |
| 2014 | 10.05% | 89.95% |
| 2015 | 9.71% | 90.29% |
| 2016 | 10.08% | 89.92% |
| 2017 | 10.60% | 89.40% |
| 2018 | 10.92% | 89.08% |
| 2019 | 10.97% | 89.03% |
| 2020 | 11.20% | 88.80% |
| 2021 | 11.18% | 88.82% |
Surgical nurse related jobs gender ratio
We compared surgical nurses with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, flight surgeon and optometrist, owner have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Staff Nurse Midwife | 2% | 98% |
| Perinatal Nurse | 3% | 97% |
| Therapeutic Dietitian | 3% | 97% |
| Surgical Nurse | 11% | 89% |
| Radiology Resident | 75% | 25% |
| Optometrist, Owner | 76% | 24% |
| Flight Surgeon | 82% | 18% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Surgical nurse demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among surgical nurses is White, which makes up 65.6% of all surgical nurses. Comparatively, 12.0% of surgical nurses are Black or African American and 8.9% of surgical nurses are Asian.
- White, 65.6%
- Black or African American, 12.0%
- Asian, 8.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.8%
- Unknown, 4.2%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
Surgical nurse race
| Surgical nurse race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 65.6% |
| Black or African American | 12.0% |
| Asian | 8.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.8% |
| Unknown | 4.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
Surgical nurse race and ethnicity over time
See how surgical nurse racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Surgical nurse race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 72.61% | 12.22% | 7.09% | 6.24% |
| 2011 | 72.20% | 12.59% | 7.00% | 6.30% |
| 2012 | 71.80% | 12.72% | 7.10% | 6.53% |
| 2013 | 71.64% | 12.65% | 7.20% | 6.48% |
| 2014 | 70.45% | 12.79% | 7.72% | 7.01% |
| 2015 | 70.64% | 12.91% | 7.25% | 7.14% |
| 2016 | 70.44% | 12.43% | 7.69% | 7.40% |
| 2017 | 70.08% | 11.94% | 7.87% | 7.74% |
| 2018 | 69.88% | 12.60% | 7.60% | 7.64% |
| 2019 | 69.91% | 11.95% | 7.91% | 8.00% |
| 2020 | 67.76% | 11.56% | 7.93% | 8.47% |
| 2021 | 65.62% | 12.03% | 8.90% | 8.77% |
Surgical nurse wage gap by race
According to our data, asian surgical nurses have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. White surgical nurses have the lowest average salary at $66,251.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $67,168 |
| White | $66,251 |
| Black or African American | $66,504 |
| Asian | $78,387 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $67,896 |
Average surgical nurse age
See how the average age of surgical nurses varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Surgical nurse age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 45 | 45 |
| Unknown | 39 | 40.5 |
| Asian | 39 | 44 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 39 | 38 |
| White | 42 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 42 |
Surgical nurse age breakdown
The average age of surgical nurses is 40+ years years old, representing 59% of the surgical nurse population.
Surgical nurse age breakdown
| Surgical Nurse Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 59% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 14% |
Surgical nurse educational attainment
The most common degree for surgical nurses is bachelor's degree, with 46% of surgical nurses earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 39% and associate degree degree at 6%.
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Associate, 39%
- Master's, 6%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Surgical nurses by degree level
| Surgical nurse degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 46% |
| Associate | 39% |
| Master's | 6% |
| Diploma | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Surgical nurse jobs you might like
Surgical nurse wage gap by degree level
According to the data, surgical nurses with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $81,707 annually. With a Doctorate degree, surgical nurses earn a median annual income of $74,867 compared to $71,957 for surgical nurses with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $81,707 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $71,957 |
| Doctorate Degree | $74,867 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $61,037 |
Surgical nurse employment statistics
Most surgical nurses work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where surgical nurses work
Below, you can see the size of companies where surgical nurses work.
Surgical nurse jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 10% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 17% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 11% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 44% |
| > 10,000 employees | 15% |
Surgical nurse jobs by company type
Employees with the surgical nurse job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most surgical nurses prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Surgical nurse jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 5% |
| Public | 2% |
| Private | 90% |
| Government | 3% |
Surgical nurse jobs by industry
The most common industries for surgical nurses are health care, education and professional.
Surgical nurse industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 89% |
| Education | 3% |
| Government | 2% |
| Professional | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
| Manufacturing | 1% |
Surgical nurse turnover and employment statistics
Surgical nurse unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for surgical nurses between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Surgical nurse unemployment rate by year
| Year | Surgical nurse unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 1.90% |
| 2011 | 1.97% |
| 2012 | 1.94% |
| 2013 | 1.69% |
| 2014 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | 1.37% |
| 2016 | 1.10% |
| 2017 | 1.04% |
| 2018 | 1.07% |
| 2019 | 1.04% |
| 2020 | 1.45% |
| 2021 | 1.37% |
Average surgical nurse tenure
The average surgical nurse stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 5,777 surgical nurses resumes in Zippia's database.
Surgical nurse tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 18% |
| 1-2 years | 40% |
| 3-4 years | 16% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 8% |
Surgical nurse LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of surgical nurses that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Surgical Nurse | 8.72% | - |
| Outpatient Psychiatrist | 9.88% | 9,279 |
| Pediatric Physician Assistant | 11.62% | 52,560 |
| Kinesiotherapist | 13.00% | 35,895 |
| Public Health Physician | 13.05% | 93,090 |
| Chief, Optometry Service | 17.57% | 20,889 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 31.64% | 62,419 |
Similar surgical nurse jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Outpatient Psychiatrist | 9.88% | 9,279 |
| Pediatric Physician Assistant | 11.62% | 52,560 |
| Kinesiotherapist | 13.00% | 35,895 |
| Public Health Physician | 13.05% | 93,090 |
| Chief, Optometry Service | 17.57% | 20,889 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 31.64% | 62,419 |
Foreign languages spoken by surgical nurses
The most common foreign language among surgical nurses is Spanish at 56.9%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.8% and Russian is the third-most popular at 3.9%.
- Spanish, 56.9%
- French, 8.8%
- Russian, 3.9%
- Japanese, 3.9%
- Tagalog, 2.9%
- Other, 23.6%
Surgical nurse languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 56.9% |
| French | 8.8% |
| Russian | 3.9% |
| Japanese | 3.9% |
| Tagalog | 2.9% |
| Other | 23.6% |
